Our last day at the Imperial Dam LTVA

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

This evening, our neighbors walked over to introduce themselves. They are a retired couple from Iowa who have been spending the winters here for several years. I would guess farmers from their dress and demeanor. For only $180 per year, they have unlimited access to water, a dump station, trash collection and a shower. They travel in a Class A motorhome in the 36’ range. About every two weeks, they dump their tanks and fill up with water. They have their own special spot to which they return year after year. The “residents” tend to “customize” their areas with rocks, of which there is an endless supply. Big rocks, medium sized ones and pebbles. These rocks make it very difficult for Carol to either walk with her cane or drive the scooter. The rocks cover up the fine red dust, about the consistency of talcum powder, that blows around and coats everything.

The residents build one rock high borders to define “their” area, elaborate fire pits, patios, walkways and such things. The spot we’re in tonight has been customized. The defined area is large enough for two RV’s plus there is a well built fire ring. Last nights campsite had a good sized area that appeared top have been raked of even the smaller rocks. Perhaps to prepare a tent site.

The wind never stops blowing around here. It’s strong enough to make the flags stand out straight. As I rub my hands across the dinette table, I can feel the grit of the sand. There are a few camping areas that are in “bowls” or depressions. They are quite popular because they afford some protection from the wind. A few of the regulars have set up screens around their site to block the wind. Some have wind generators erected to provide electrical power. When we got home from last years trip out this way, I must have vacuumed up a pound of red dust. It coated just everything; the engine compartment, refrigerator, the interior, the roof, on and on. If you camp in the desert, that’s just the way it is.

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

This morning on the way to our day camp spot on the reservoir, we drove around here and here. The long term residents are easy to spot. Flag poles, clothes drying trees, wind screens, elaborate solar power systems, potted plants, and such things. You see everything from tents to very expensive RV’s. A very interesting lifestyle.

Camping on the Senator Wash Reservoir.

Imperial Dam LTVA

January 2, 2012

Today we did some exploring. I have never seen a city with so many RV parks as Yuma. I don’t know if they hold the world’s record for such things, but they just might. One of the Escapees we’ve been camping with has been coming to this area for 16 years. He was just chock full of tips on free camping. Seems the true boondockers don’t even want to spend the money to camp at the LTVA’s.

Then we did our last minute shopping at WalMart, topped off the propane tank and set out for the Imperial Dam Long Term Visitor Area (LTVA).
In order to get to the Imperial Dam area from the AZ side, you drive through the Army Yuma Proving Grounds. Per the signs, every tracked vehicle and cannon developed for, and since, WW-II has been tested here. There is an interesting exhibit of some of the machines and guns tested.

Parts of the Imperial Dam LTVA are in Arizona but the majority is in California. CA is in a different time zone but, by convention, AZ time is used in this area. There are a number of camping areas like Cozy Cove, Kripple Creek, Hurricane Ridge, and another half dozen or so. The administrative area with the dump station, water fill, dumpsters and permit office is located in the South Mesa camping area. GPS 32.90139 -114.49599. We bought a 30 day camping permit for $80. This permit is good for all the different LTVA’s, including, of course, those around “Q”.

We spend the day camped on the shore of the Senator Wash Reservoir. If you want to stay overnight there, you need to pay an additional fee of $15/night. The folks in the office told us to just spend the day there and then move to one of the other camping areas before sunset. That’s just what we did. Gopher had a fun time playing stick in the reservoir, plus it washed some of the desert off her.

About 5:00 Gopher and I were sitting outside and two “wild” burros came wandering up. They didn’t much like barking dogs, so I put Gopher inside. They walked right up to me and just stood there. I got an apple and cut it in two and gave each half; that’s exactly what these two mooches had in mind. I didn’t want to give away any more apples so I took a zucchini and cut off two pieces. Burros don’t like zucchini.

A good day for a swim

Tonight's campsite

Wednesday, January 3, 2012

We like it here so decided to hang around until it’s time to move to “Q”. I got up just before sunrise, took a few pictures then drove down to the shore of the reservoir with Carol still tucked warmly in bed. We went exploring some of the other areas, like Squaw Lake, but liked the Senator Wash Reservoir the best. Here we’ll stay.

We had a visitor today

Gopher & the burro.

He stopped by to say hello and mooch an apple.

A few favorites from 2011; a truly great year.

Cedar Island, NC on our way to the OBX

Lake Superior, Michigan.

The family reunion in Pennsylvania.

A few favorite pictures from past travels

The Slabs

Our campsite

The grandchildren. Christmas, 2010.

Our all time favorite campsite. It's just us. Lake Superior, Summer 2011.

Death Valley, 2010. A most beautiful animal. Looks like he just stepped out of the groomers.

Yuma, AZ and the Escapees

December 30, 2011

We made the final drive to Yuma this morning with stops at Fry’s and WalMart for supplies. Yuma is a madhouse this time of year. The full time population of Yuma is about 75,000 but another estimated 70,000 call it home in the winter.

Yuma. The lettuce capital of America

Yuma is Arizona’s warmest winter city and the sunniest year round place in the US, with an annual average of 4,133 hours of sunshine. This week’s weather is forecast to be in the mid 70’s during the day and the mid-40’s at night. This time last week a daytime high of freezing was about typical. It’s nice being warm once again. Last year in Yuma, Carol had heat stroke and we spent the day in the ER. This time, she’s drinking more water, dressing more appropriately for the weather, wearing a hat and keeping out of the sun during the hottest hours of the day. One ambulance ride to the ER is enough!!
We drove out to the Escapees New Years gathering on Mittry Lake. This is one of the “ten day” BLM areas. No charge, no facilities, but you’re supposed to move on after ten days. Right now there are about a dozen rigs here with more expected tomorrow; the official start of the rally. It’s hard to find a more welcoming group of people. As soon as we parked and got settled down, people came over and introduced themselves. Carol hopped on her scooter and joined some ladies who were sewing, making ear rings, knitting, etc. It’s just so nice for her to have company other then me, and for me to be able to talk to the guys as well. There was a couple here that we had met at an Escapee rally in Michigan a few years ago. About 4:00 there was the customary social hour. By sundown it starts to cool off and everyone heads “home” for supper. Everyone here, except for us, are “full timers”. One couple, Ron and Sharon, had been on the road for the 19 years since he retired from the Navy. They have a 1959 Continental Trailways bus they bought and converted into a motorhome. There are eight 125 watt solar panels and a battery bank with a 1,150 ampere hour capacity. Ron said they have a household size refrigerator, microwave, etc. that all run from the battery bank. Other RV’s here tend to have from four to six solar panels. Of course they are large fifth wheels or motorhomes with room for such things.

December 31, 2011
New Years Eve.
A beautiful day. Woke up to 44* this morning but by 10am it was over 60* and by noon time 74*. We spent the day enjoying the company of all the very nice people. The more time we spend with other Escapees, the more intriguing the life style becomes. Under the right circumstances, we could see traveling almost all the time with the occasional trip to Fort Pierce just to be sure the house was still standing. Some day perhaps. Summers in Colorado , Wyoming and Montana, winters in Arizona. ??
Tonight we discovered something new to us; a revolving party called a “Z Circle”. There are four host stations. Everyone is assigned to one station and brings either an appetizer or dessert to that station and leaves it there. We made brownies. Every hour you then move to the next station and sample whatever is there and socialize with a new group of people. Around and around you go until you have visited all four stations. It’s a great way to get to know everyone on a more personal basis.
Around 11pm the community fire was started. Carol had already called it a night. I managed to stay awake until a little after midnight.


January 1, 2012
New Years Day, 2012.
What a weather perfect day. Low last night in the mid-50’s, by late afternoon it was 80*. At 2pm there was a New Years Day pot luck supper and endless socializing. It was the most unusual, and enjoyable, New Years weekend we can recall. In the morning most folks are setting out for here and there until the big event at Q at which time, we’ll all meet up once again. We’re staying around until Tuesday then going into Yuma for propane and shopping, then to the Imperial Dam/Senator Wash areas before moving onto Q later in the week.

Carol and her friends

Our campsite overlooking Mittry Lake

Getting ready for the pot luck supper.

Talking to these full timers is really interesting. Some, judging from their RV's, are quite well off financially. Some need to work while they are traveling. One couple is heading to Texas from here. They have a three month job lined up at one of the oil exploration sites. They park by the entry gate and check everyone in and out. The job is 24/7 so someone in the RV must be available around the clock. The job pays $150/day. They are provided with a large generator, a supply of drinking water and a tank pumping service. The three months work will bring in about $13,500 less the very occasional, day off. Some have worked at Amazon, some at Wal Mart, some doing odd jobs here and there. Doing what they need to do in order to continue their chosen lifestyle.

Getting warmer

I was up at sunrise this morning as was everyone else in the campground it seems. Sometime during the night, two other RV's pulled in. They were Camping World rental units. Two families traveling together with school age children from either Germany or Holland from their language. A small herd of horses came wandering through the campground. Everyone was there with cameras. Smiles are the same the world over.

We were on the road by 8:30, or so. Our choices to get to warm and sunny Yuma were either two four hour driving days, or one long and one short day. As the day wore on, we just kept going. It was still cold and there was snow on the ground until we got about 50 miles south of Flagstaff. Finally the plan became to just get south of Phoenix where it would be warm and call it a day. Tonight we're at Holt's Shell Station, just off I-8 in Gila Bend; about two hours from Yuma. We've stayed here before. There are two camping choices. Use the free dump and water fill then stay in the parking lot behind the convenience store for free or pay $21.43 to stay in their full hookup RV park. We're in the RV park tonight, which is no more then a parking lot with hookups, because for the next month or so, it's going to be boondocking in the desert. We both took long, water-wasting showers tonight. Enjoy it while we can!! There is a nice laundry room here so we're all caught up in that department.

We woke up to this.

And went to bed with this.
The sign says $3.45/gal. for regular gas. We filled up at Pilot in Phoenix for $3.07.


In the morning we get our shopping done in Yuma then head to Mittry Lake for the Escapee New Years Eve party. That will be fun.

Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park and getting there.

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

We left Suzanne’s house about 9:00am. The drive from Denver west on I-70 is very pretty. As we passed by the different ski resorts we could see the skiers and the lifts. Everything looks busy. The drive through the Glenwood Canyon was especially nice. Sheer rock walls and the Colorado River. The parking lots by the springs at Glenwood Springs were packed with cars. Business looks to be good.
We arrived at the James M. Robb-Colorado River State Park near Fruita, CO about 3:00; a longer drive then I had anticipated. We’ve stayed here before. It’s just off I-70 so it makes for a very convenient nights stop. We’re the only campers here tonight. The Ranger said just help yourself to any site. He, or his relief, would drive through the campground now and then. $20/night for a full hookup site plus a $7 entry fee. Nice to have electrical hookups on yet another cold night. We finally got to dump the tanks after spending nine days camping in the streets at Suzanne’s house.
It was 17* this morning when Gopher and I went walking.

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Monument Valley

Today we drove through the state of Utah from Crescent Junction to Mexican Hat . Passed through the magnificent National Parks of Arches and Canyonlands, through the Manti-La Sal National Forest, Moab and Monticello and a dozen or so “towns” that barely existed. This is a most beautiful drive through canyons, up and over mesas, past huge cattle ranches and eventually to the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park just south of the UT/AZ border. We need to come back this way when the weather is more conducive to outdoor things.

The Monument Valley Tribal Park is a very special place in the Navajo culture. The visitor center had an extensive collection of artifacts and told the story of the area from before the army expelled the Navajo tribe as part of the Western Expansion to modern times. Very interesting. Carol found two beautiful, well crafted, pairs of handmade Navajo earrings in the gift shop. The nice thing about buying crafts in an “official” store, rather than from a roadside stand, is that everything comes with a certificate of authenticity. Is the certificate authentic?? Who knows. For the price I should hope so.

There is a camping area near the visitor center. It’s simply called the Primitive Campground. Trash cans and pit toilets; nothing else. $10/night. Tonight it’s us, three young couples tent camping and two couples from Germany traveling in their RV. Europeans quite often ship their RV to the US then travel extensively. They really like the “Old West” America; cowboys, Indians and such. Several of the old western movies by John Ford were filmed in Monument Valley. Stagecoach being the most famous.



Our view is magnificent. We’re on an elevated area overlooking the Mittens, named because they resemble a mitten, Mitchell Mesa, Merrick Butte and Elephant Butte.

In the morning we continue south. An Escapee friend told us about a New Years Eve campout a bunch of Escapees are putting on at Mittery Lake which is a BLM area just north of Yuma. That’s where we’re heading next. The woman who is organizing the party sent us an e-mail with directions and said the temperatures are in the low 70’s. Much more to our liking.

This view from our window.

A happy camper

Our campsite overlooking the Mittens

What's keeping that rock from falling?? The formation is called Mexican Hat.

Another wonderful Christmas

Saturday, December 24, 2011 Christmas Eve

We enjoyed a fun day with Izzy and Oliver. Carol and I went to Mass at 3:30 then came home to another great meal by Suzanne and her able assistant, Izzy. After dinner we all enjoyed the family tradition of the “open me first” gift. Everyone gets to open one present on Christmas Eve. The gift is always pajamas of some type. Oliver got a Bat Man set and Izzy’s were snow bunny. All the adults got nice, warm flannel pajamas.

Our iPhone has a feature called FaceTime. It’s a video conferencing program. Jennifer has an iPad II with the same program. We called Jennifer and Alex in Virginia and had a great time talking to all the Virginia grandchildren and playing show-and-tell with the open-me-first gifts. We’ll call them again tomorrow. One of the great FaceTime features is that the call is completely free. Amazing technology.

The weather is improving, in a relative sort of way. Yesterday when I got up, the outside temperature was 7*; this morning it was 14*. I guess if the temperature doubles that represents a huge improvement. When I was walking Gopher, 14* today felt just like 7* yesterday. I didn’t feel twice as warm.

Before Carol and I went out to the camper tonight, Izzy asked if we could get up a little earlier tomorrow since they can’t open presents until we’re there. It seems the coffee pot timer is set for 6:00am and that would be a good time to start opening presents. :-)

Sunday, December 25, 2011 Christmas Day

I woke up at about 6:00 and took Gopher for her walk. We were inside, all ready for the opening of presents by 6:45. As always, under the tree was piled with gifts. We called Jennifer and Alex with the FaceTime Apple program. It’s the next best thing to being there.
Suzanne is a vegetarian and Chris and the children mostly so. Instead of the traditional turkey, we had fish which Chris cooked, green beans, a sweet potato/apple casserole, corn pudding and a great cheesecake for desert. Suzanne is a wonderful cook. Among the favorite parts of my visit, was a week without cooking and cleaning up.
Our original plan was to leave in the morning but we decided to stay for another day. Who knows when we’ll be back here again.

Oliver, Carol, Suzanne & Izzy

Monday, December 26, 2011

I spent the day getting the camper ready for our departure tomorrow morning, walking with Gopher and enjoying everyone’s company. Carol, Suzanne and the children went shopping then out to lunch.
After dinner we took lots of pictures of the children. Carol has a collection of her favorites on her iPad. Tomorrow it’s back to work for Chris and Suzanne. We said our goodbye’s tonight. There is talk of a family reunion on Carol’s side of the family next Summer in Connecticut. If so, perhaps we’ll see everyone then.
In the morning we begin the long drive to Quartzsite “Q”,AZ. 983.4 miles per Streets and Trips. The last several days I’ve been looking at the different routes from here to there. One route is all Interstate highways to Las Vegas, NV then south. The other goes from I-70 to Utah then south on Highway 191 through Moab, Blanding, Mexican Hat, Flagstaff, then Phoenix. There is nothing of interest on the Interstate highways and we’ve lots of time so I decided to take the slow and scenic way. Four hours max. driving time per day.

Waiting for Santa

Sunday, December 18, 2011

The weather service issued a blizzard warning for the Raton area starting tomorrow. Our timing turned out to be quite lucky; the weather on our drive to Longmont was just perfect. Sunny skies with temps. in the lower 60*’s. Traffic was light except in the Denver area where we got caught in the Denver Broncos home game traffic snarl.
Arrived at Suzanne’s house about 1:30pm. The storm forecast for the Raton area is due in Longmont tomorrow. Chris installed a 30 amp plug on the front porch so we were able to run the small electric space heaters and stay toasty warm.
I received a phone call today informing us that our long time neighbor, Brian Knapp unexpectedly passed away yesterday. He was 47 years old. His wife Elizabeth, looks after Mom when we’re traveling. 47. That’s so very young.

Monday, December 19, 2011

This morning it was 31* and snowing when I took Gopher for her first walk of the day. After that, I worked setting up the trains in the basement. In about 1947, my father bought me a set of Lionel trains, built a platform for the setup and built houses for a village. The quality of his work is just amazing. Regrettably, I didn’t inherit those skills.
The trains were wrapped in an edition of the Miami Herald dated December 28, 1983; that was the last time they were used. The newspaper headline was about Ronald Regan and the attack on the Marine base in Beirut, Lebanon. There was a K-Mart ad. A microwave oven was on sale for $399.99. Today, less then $100 will but a microwave. They were selling champagne for $2.49/bottle. The K-Mart quality, of course, but still. When I unpacked the trains, there was a note Jennifer had written to Suzanne about some game they were playing with the trains. Suzanne posted the note on her bulletin board.

The trains all set up.

Carol and Oliver playing light saber.

Today was cookie making day. Pecan balls, chocolate cookies with crushed peppermint, and such.
Gopher and I took several walks today in spite of the cold and snow. She’s a real snow dog. Chews on it, rolls in it, bites at the snow flakes. Wonder if it’s because snow is such a novelty to her? It doesn’t snow in South Florida.
Suzanne took Carol and the children shopping today. The girls like shopping with Carol because she has a credit card. :-)

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

I finally got the train set running this afternoon. I surprised myself considering the trains are about 65 years old and the last time I set them up was in 1983; 28 years ago. It was fun watching Izzy and Oliver play with them much as Jennifer, Suzanne and Alex did when they were young and as Ginny and I did when Dad first set them up in either 1947 or ‘48. The paperwork with the train transformer, said it was the 1947 model. I’m so glad I kept the trains for all these years and that Suzanne wanted them for her children.
Everyone went shopping again today except for Gopher and me. We went walking and just enjoyed a pretty day.
Tomorrow is another shopping day. Why not? We worked long and hard for our money. The time has come to spend it.

Wednesday & Thursday(The Winter Solstice)

Wednesday was another shopping day; this time to Boulder.
The snow started falling in the late afternoon on Wednesday. When Gopher and I took our Thursday morning walk, there was at least a foot of snow. Right now it's 11:00am and it's still snowing. The weather forecast is for below freezing temperatures for the next two days. Come Monday, we'll be ready to head south.
There was so much snow on the roads, that Chris didn't have to go to work today so the entire family will be here until Monday.
Today everyone is finding inside things to do.

The park where Gopher and I take our walks.

It takes two electric cube heaters running on high to keep us warm at night